MSNBC news programs: on Government Reform

Ben Carson: Covertly spy on government workers to make them work harder

Ben Carson said that if elected next year he might implement a "covert division" of government workers who spy on their coworkers to improve government efficiency. Carson said he is "thinking very seriously" about adding "a covert division of people who look like the people in this room, who monitor what government people do."

Carson suggested people would work harder if they suspected their coworkers of monitoring their work. "And we make it possible to fire government people!" he said to loud cheers. It's true that firing government employees who underperform can be notoriously complicated--so much so that most agencies don't even try to do it, a GAO report found earlier this year.

A spokesperson clarified Carson's comments: "Covert division? More like Secret Shopper, a quality control strategy used worldwide to improve customer service and customer care."

Source: MSNBC 2015 coverage of 2016 presidential hopefuls Jun 10, 2015

Dennis Kucinich: There's a fourth branch of government with a dollar sign

We have to know where the centers of power are. I think this book, "The Division of Light and Power," is a guide towards understanding how government actually works. It`s not the legislative, executive, judicial branch that some of us learned about in civic. There`s another branch with a dollar sign on it. And we have to be very careful about protecting our democratic rights in this society. Source: MSNBC interview for 2021 Cleveland Mayoral race Jun 14, 2021

Dennis Kucinich: Citizens United was a body blow to our democracy

Citizens United was a body blow to our democracy. At this point, the only thing you can do is to demand that the candidates reveal where their money is coming from. But then you have the issue of dark money. And that`s a problem. So we have to confront people wherever we see them publicly, and find out, who`s really behind them? Sometimes, you feel Congress and government is like people are wearing these patches like drivers do at the Indy 500. Source: MSNBC interview for 2021 Cleveland Mayoral race Jun 14, 2021

Hillary Clinton: Consider Constitutional Amendment against Citizen's United

While eying a potential presidential run that would surely be boosted by deep-pocketed super PACs, Hillary Clinton said that she's open to supporting a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, which opened the door to the outside groups and the flood of money that poured into the political process with them: "I would consider supporting an amendment among these lines that would prevent the abuse of our political system by excessive amounts of money if there is no other way to deal with the Citizen's United decision," she said in response to a question on the measure. Source: Alex Seitz-Wald on MSNBC, "Citizens United" on 2012 election Jul 21, 2014

Michael Steele: Biden showed moral courage in criticizing voter suppression

Q: What did you think of this president speak about what he calls Jim Crow racist voter discrimination?

STEELE: He showed his interest in the very fundamental thing that we appreciate constitutionally, and that is the right to vote. And now the test is going to be on us as citizens to meet the challenge of the president to stick our moral courage to that sticking point, if you will, to make sure that these types of offenses to our democracy are rebuffed.

Source: MSNBC "The Beat" on 2022 Maryland Governor race Mar 25, 2021

Michael Steele: We know this is all about a fear of black voters

I have been an advocate of voting reform since I was a county chairman here in Prince George`s County back in the 1990s. My view then, being in a county where I was outnumbered -- there are 800,000 residents, 58,000 of whom at that time were registered Republican voters, OK? What this is all about, voter suppression. We know this is all about a fear of black voters. This is targeted to states like Georgia, like Michigan, where black voters turned out in numbers. Source: MSNBC "The ReidOut " on 2022 Maryland Governor race Mar 29, 2021

Michelle Benson: The more we watch the polls, the less they cheat

HUGH HEWITT, DEBATE MODERATOR: In your opinion, did President Biden win the constitutional majority of the electoral college?

DR. SCOTT JENSEN: I can`t know what I don`t know. And I think we have to take that attitude towards 2020.

MAYOR MIKE MURPHY: I do believe there was voter fraud at a massive scale across this country.

STATE SEN. PAUL GAZELKA: I don`t think the election was fair, but I do think we have the results that we have. The electoral college is the way that we determine the election.

STATE SEN. MICHELLE BENSON: The more we watch, the less they cheat.

Source: MSNBC on 2022 Minnesota Gubernatorial debate Sep 21, 2021

Mike Murphy: Voter fraud at massive scale in 2020 across the country